ON CALL: Vitamin D supplements may not be the answer

Monday

Nov 5, 2018 at 3:01 AM

Vitamin D is one of the most misinterpreted vitamins in regards to deficiency. We’ve all seen the news reports in the last decade about the association between low vitamin D levels and conditions like osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, fatigue and depression.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that in the last decade, health professionals have routinely ordered testing for vitamin D levels in almost everyone – in fact, it was the fifth most common laboratory test ordered for Medicare patients in 2014, costing more than $100 million that year.

Turns out, many people were found to be low, especially those of darker skin and those in areas w/less sun exposure. The result? More vitamin D supplementation purchases for patients and their friends and family.

In truth, vitamin D deficiency varies between individuals according to their biologic need. Vitamin D increases your body’s absorption of calcium, so those with poor intestinal absorption and/or diseases of the kidney, bone or liver will have a higher need for the vitamin.

For the rest of us, the research is not clear-cut.

The National Academy of Medicine considers a level of less than 12 ng per ml of the vitamin D lab marker 25 OH-D to most likely mean you are deficient. But even then, is it necessary to supplement?

The answer is not necessarily. In fact, current research has not demonstrated health benefits of routine vitamin D.

That means that there is simply not enough evidence that vitamin D supplementation will prevent bad things like cancer, cardiac disease, or bone fractures (even in osteoporotic populations).

Even the risks seem to outweigh the possible benefits - too much vitamin D increases the risk of kidney stones, calcium deposits in your joints and heart damage, so those people taking thousands of units (max limit is 4,000 per day) need to cut down.

The current recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D (assuming you get no sunlight) is 600 units for ages up to 70; afterwards, it increases to 800 units.

If you are concerned about maintaining your vitamin D levels, then keep it simple. Boost your diet with fortified cereals, milk, and orange juice or omega-rich fish like salmon and mackerel.